Förskollärares mångfasetterade motiv för undervisning om hållbarhet

The study investigates the main motivations for teaching about sustainability in Swedish kindergartens, based on responses from 153 kindergarten teachers. The purpose is to understand why kindergarten teachers believe it is important to teach about sustainability, and what critical aspects they see in such teaching. The research questions are:

1. What motivations do the participating kindergarten teachers consider important for teaching sustainability in kindergarten?
2. What critical aspects of teaching about sustainability are expressed in the participants’ texts?

The research results show that kindergarten teachers have four main motivations for teaching about sustainability: to counteract unhealthy lifestyles, comply with policy documents, take responsibility for a sustainable future, and prepare children for future challenges. The kindergarten teachers see sustainability as a necessity for children’s knowledge development in nature and society, where children’s participation and contribution are essential. They emphasise that sustainability teaching should promote children’s creativity, problem-solving and critical thinking, enabling them to develop agency skills for the future. The study also reveals challenges in integrating sustainability into daily kindergarten practices, where kindergarten teachers need to further develop their knowledge and approaches.

The study uses a qualitative method with a critical theoretical perspective to explore kindergarten teachers’ motivations and viewpoints on teaching about sustainability. The data were collected via a questionnaire distributed to 153 Swedish kindergarten teachers who all participated in a research and development programme in the spring of 2021. The responses were analysed using critical content analysis, where researchers focused on cultural understandings and institutional frameworks that influence the perception of sustainability in kindergarten.

Ärlemalm-Hagsér, E., Engdahl, I., & Samuelsson, I. P. (2023). Förskollärares mångfasetterade motiv för undervisning om hållbarhet. Nordisk barnehageforskning, 20(3), 104–124.